River Valley Museum in Vijayawaada

Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada is located on the banks of the Krishna River in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The second most prominent metropolitan city in the state (after Visakhapatnam), Vijayawada is the popularly referred as the Business Capital of Andhra Pradesh. Vijayawada is one among the most visited cities in the state for its wide range of places of interest that appeal to the all types of visitors from all over the world, irrespective of the seasons.


Some of the most popular places of interest in Vijayawada include Kanaka Durga Temple, Sri Marakata Rajarajeswari Temple, Hinkar Thirtha (Jain Temple), Sri Subramanya Swamy Temple, Hazarat Bal Mosque, Kondapalli Fort, Prakasham Barrage, Gundala Mary Matha Church, Sri Nagarala Sri Maha Lakshmi Ammavaru Temple, Undavalli Caves, Rajiv Gandhi Park, Gandhi Hill, Victoria Jubilee Museum, Bhavani Island, Mangalagiri and so on.

Among the most popular tourist picks of Vijayawada, the notable River Valley Museum occupies a prime position for its singularity! Yes, the River Valley Museum in Vijayawada is the (one and) only river museum in all of India and only the fourth river museum in the globe. Let's get to know more about this unique river museum in Vijayawada.

Krishna River and Bezawada - Connection!

Legend has it that Vijayawada acquired its former name 'Bezawada' due to its association with the holy river of Krishna. Goddess Krishnaveni (Krishna River) expressed Arjuna the need for a passage for her to fall into the Bay of Bengal. Therefore, Arjuna created a 'bejjam' (hole) for Goddess Krishnaveni through the mounts and the land referred to be called as 'Bejjamwada' which later became 'Bezawada'. Krishna River is like a lifeline to Andhra Pradesh that it is revered by Hindus as a holy river. Several temples are dedicated to the sacred river across the four Indian states.

Krishnaveni Museum in Vijayawada

River Valley Museum, popularly called as the Krishnaveni Museum or Krishnaveni Mandapam in Vijayawada is the only museum that is dedicated to a river in the country. In fact, River Valley Museum in Vijayawada is only the fourth in the globe, the other three being, Niagara Falls History Museum in the United States of America, Volga River Museum in Russian Federation and Nile River Museum in Arab Republic of Egypt. The Vijayawada River Valley Museum is located on the banks of the Krishna River, could be easily spotted near the Telugu Talli Statue on the right side of the Prakasam Barrage while crossing the overbridge from Guntur.

The unique museum portrays all the prospects of the Krishna River, that is to say,

• How the holy river began its long journey as a modest watercourse that took shape from drops of water at Mahabaleswar (Maharashtra)
• How the simple narrow stream gets ahead into its actual size
• How the river journeys hundreds of thousands of kilometers before falling into the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi (Andhra Pradesh)

The cultural heritage, reverence and significance in the form of temples and other pilgrim spots, all over the course of the holy river such as Mahabaleshwar, Sringeri, Bheemashankaram, Mantralayam, Pandaripuram, Bramaramba Mallikarjuna temple at Srisailam, Alampur, Sanganeshwaram, Kudali, Vedadri, Rupala Sangameshwaram, Bhattiprolu, Nagarjunakonda, Mukteshwaram, Guntapalli, Srikakulam, Agiripalli, Sri Amareswara Swamy temple at Amaravati, Siddeshwaram, Mopidevi, Durga-Malleswara Swamy temple at Vijayawada, Ailuru, Thotlavalluru, Peddakaepalli and Hamsaladeevi are displayed in the River Valley Museum.

In addition, the River Valley Museum in Vijayawada portrays the complete evolutionary process resulting up to the appearance of anatomically modern human beings. The river museum also houses a statue of Krishnamma/Goddess Krishnaveni (Krishna River), close to the Prakasham Barrage. The people of Andhra Pradesh have always given a special place to Krishna River in their hearts and it is clearly visible all over the museum. Altogether, if you want to find out the A-Z about the holy Krishna River, head straight to the Krishnaveni Mandapam in Vijayawada and you will be awe stricken in no time!

Visit the Krishnaveni Mandapam in Vijayawada and celebrate the one and only river museum in India